Track-sander.



C. B. NICHOLS.

TR'AGK SANDER.

(Application filed Jan. 25, 1901.)

N0. 682,l50. atented Sept. 3, I90I.

um model.)

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n4: NORRIS PETER; 00., wonxuma. WASHINGTON v. c.

CHARLES E. NICHOLS, OF IVESTPARK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND IWIESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NICHOLS -LINTERN COMPANY, OF

CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TRACK-SANDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,150, datedSeptember 3, 1901.

Application filed January 25, 1901. Serial No. 44,700- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Westpark, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Sanders, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus carried by motor-cars andlocomotives for the purpose of flowing sand upon the track-rails; andthe object thereof is to provide such an apparatus comprising areservoir for sand and attachments separate and distinct therefrom forregulating the supply of sand to the track, said attachments beinglocated in the most convenient or effective positions, irrespective ofthe position of the reservoir, except that said reservoir should be soplaced in relation to the feeder-box that sand may run by gravitythrough a suitable conduit from the former into the latter.

A further object is to secure a positive and uniform distribution ofsand to the track capable of almost instantaneous application and closeregulation, together with such minorobjects as will become apparent fromthe description and be set forth in the claims.

To these ends my invention consists in the novel features andarrangements hereinafter described and claimed, an embodiment thereof asapplied to a motor-car being illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure I is a side elevation, partly in section, showing theapplication of the apparatus to a motor-car. Figs. II and III aresectional elevations of the feeder-box, taken on line H II of Fig. IV;and Fig. 1V is a plan View, partly in section, of the same.

The reference-letter a indicates a reservoir for sand, which may beplaced in any convenient part of the body of the car. A closedfeeder-box b is secured to the under side of the car forward of thedriving-wheel c and preferably as near said wheel as possible. A tube dconnects the bottom of the reservoir a with the top of the forward endof the box I) and serves to conduct sand by gravity from the reservoirinto the said box. The forward end of the box 6 is inclined, as shown,so that the top of the box is longer than its bottom,

and a vertical rib or partition 6, extending across the box anddepending from the top thereof, forms, with the inclined end and thesides, ahopperf, which is supplied with sand from the reservoir by thepipe 01. In the rear end of the box 6 and projecting some distance aboveits bottom is a hub or bench 9, through which passes an outlet h,preferably of a f unnel shape, as shown, terminating in a nozzle 'i,depending from the bottom of the box. Said nozzle is provided with meansfor attaching a pipe or a wire hose j, as shown, leading'down into closeproximity to the head of the track-rail, as plainly shown in Figs. I,II, and III. Extending horizontallyinto the box I), through the inclinedfront wall thereof near its bottom and screw-threaded or otherwisesecured therein, is a small pipe It, which is connected with thecompressed-air reservoir usually carried by motor-cars and 1 locomotivesfor the purpose of operating brakes, &c., and said. pipe is providedwith a valve Z, preferably of the quick-opening type,

at a point in its length conveniently accessible to the driver of thecar. Thus by reference to Fig. II it will be readily understood thatsand entering the feeder-box through the conduit d flows down under therib e, forming a layer of sand at'm, resting upon the bottom andinclined end of the box covering the orifice of the air-pipe k, and itsupper surface conforming to its natural slope, after which the hopper ffills up to the pipe (I.

When it is desired to sand the track, the driver of the car opens thevalve Z, permitting the requisite volume of compressed air to flowthrough the pipe 70 into the box. The eflfect of the current of air, asshown in Fig. III, is to elevate and disintegrate the sand of the layerm, which after being carried upward and rearward falls into thefunnelshaped outlet h and thence down through the hose j to the track,being hastened in its descent by the current of air. It is evident thatso long as the hopper f is filled with sand the weight thereof willcontinue to feed sand over the end of the air-pipe and also prevent airblowing up through the reservoir. By this means the particles of sandare thoroughly separated and distributed more uniformly to the trackthan is possible by the old methods, while the amount of sanddistributed is easily regulated by the volume of compressed air admittedto the feeder-box.

Modifications may be made in the details of my invention, provided theprinciples of construction set forth respectively in the followingclaims are employed.

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a track-sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand -reservoir,a suitable conduit leading downward therefrom, and a closed box adaptedto receive sand from said conduit, of a substantially rectangularcompartment in said box, means comprising a depending rib in and aninclined end of said box for holding sand and forming a layer thereofagainst said inclined end extending into said compartment, a suitableoutlet leading from the other end of said compartment, an air-pipepassing through the said inclined end of said box and opening under saidlayer of sand, and means for forcing a current of air through said pipe,substantially as set forth.

2. In a track-sanding apparatus, the combination of a closed feeder-boxadapted to receive sand from a reservoir comprising a substantiallyrectangular compartment, and means comprising a depending rib in and aninclined end of said box for holding sand and forming a layer thereofagainst said inclined end extending into said compartment, a funnel-shaped outlet leading downward from the other end of saidcompartment adapted to support a conductor for conveying sand to thetrack, an air-pipe passing through the inclined end of said box openingunder said layer of sand, and means for forcing a current of air throughsaid pipe, substantially as set forth.

3. In a track-sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand-reservoir,aclosed feederbox thereunder and means for supplying said box with sandfrom said reservoir, of a lateral partition in said box and an inclinedrear end thereof forming a wedge-shaped hopper communicating with saidreservoir, a substantially rectangular compartment forward of saidpartition communicating with said hop per through a rectangular apertureunder said partition, an outlet projecting above the bottom of theforward end of said compartment provided with means for attaching asuitable conductor thereto, and means for injecting an air-blast throughsaid inclined end into said compartment, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio, January 23, 1901..

CHARLES E. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

O. G. PRICE, WM. LINTERN.

